{"id":10145,"date":"2024-08-29T13:44:27","date_gmt":"2024-08-29T12:44:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/?p=10145"},"modified":"2026-01-21T06:26:01","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T14:26:01","slug":"immersive-virtual-experience-tells-villagers-stories-of-1665-plague","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/immersive-virtual-experience-tells-villagers-stories-of-1665-plague\/","title":{"rendered":"Immersive Virtual Experience Tells Villagers\u2019 Stories of 1665 Plague"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Immersive Virtual Experience Tells Villagers\u2019 Stories of 1665 Plague<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A team at the University of Salford have created an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/card\/1849122260833534629\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">immersive virtual experience of Eyam<\/a>, a village in the Peak District National Park which experienced a plague outbreak in 1665.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Virtual Eyam project was led by Dr Leah Greene, Dr Anna Cooper-Ryan and Denis Chambers with support from colleagues in the Public Health subject area and the Learning &amp; Teaching Enhancement Centre (LTEC) at the University of Salford.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Traditionally, full-time and part-time students on the Public Health degree programme attend a residential field trip to Eyam to learn about the response to the arrival of the plague. However, often students cannot attend due to access, work, or family commitments. In the past, these students have engaged with campus-based table-top exercises and learning activities instead of attending the field trip.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The team used ThingLink to develop a more engaging, interactive and immersive virtual experience that takes learners back in time to 17th Century Eyam via first person narratives and stories.&nbsp;You can explore the whole experience below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/card\/1849122260833534629\" type=\"text\/html\" frameborder=\"0\" webkitallowfullscreen=\"\" mozallowfullscreen=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"tl-cta-block\"><h3>Book a free consultation<\/h3><p>To learn more about how you can easily create immersive and interactive content, schedule a free call with one of our transformation consultants.<\/p><button class=\"tl-button tl-button--white tl-button--small tl-cta-block__button\" data-link=\"https:\/\/calendly.com\/andrew-6\/thinglinkdemo\">Book a free consultation<\/button><\/section>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How the experience was created<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The background scenes and surrounding environments for the ThingLink virtual experience were developed using Skybox AI by Blockade Labs. This easy-to-use online AI platform allows anyone to generate realistic 360\u00b0 environments using simple text prompts. (Skybox AI can be accessed directly in ThingLink) Audio from Pixabay further enhances the immersion in each 360\u00b0 environment. Character profiles, scripts and avatars were created using Microsoft Copilot AI, then \u2018brought to life\u2019 by animating them using an AI video generator. As a result, you can hear the narrative \u201cfirst-hand\u201d from people who lived in Eyam during the plague outbreak.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Realism and authenticity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The virtual tour experience has been likened to an immersive video game. Users can navigate self-guided around the village, entering traditional houses, the church, green spaces, and graveyard. For these 17th century village environments and landscape, the team consulted Dr Simon Hutchinson from the University\u2019s School of Science, Engineering &amp; Environment, ensuring that renders of the village were as realistic and authentic as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Virtual Eyam Experience also includes a modern-day version of Eyam with embedded 360\u00b0 videos and incorporates educational resources and quizzes. This additional context provides a thought-provoking comparison with the Covid 19 pandemic and responses to it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This project was presented at the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER) Deans\u2019 &amp; Directors\u2019 Retreat on 06 &#8211; 08 June 2024 in Porto, Portugal during a presentation entitled: \u2018Harnessing the power of simulation for public health training\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls src=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Eyam_Case_Study_1.mp4\"><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Multi-platform delivery<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Team worked together to create the Virtual Eyam Experience for future learners at the University of Salford. The experience was developed for a multi-platform delivery; accessed via immersive rooms (CAVE), virtual reality head-mounted displays (HMDs), laptops\/interactive screens or even tablets and mobile devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, any current or future student who is unable to attend the physical field trip can benefit from an experience much closer to the real-world version than was previously possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cWe now have access to a fully immersive, realistic, fun, and interactive educational resource\u201d.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<cite>Dr Leah Greene, University of Salford<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">References:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Greene, L., Cooper-Ryan, A., Chambers, D. (2024) Virtual Eyam Experience. University of Salford. Online resource. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.17866\/rd.salford.25896412.v1\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.17866\/rd.salford.25896412.v1<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clarke-Cornwell, A.M., Clark, A., Chambers, D., Greene, L., Cook, P.A., McCarthy, R., Wheater, P., Cooper-Ryan, A. (2024) Modern Day Virtual Eyam Experience: an Interactive Learning Resource using ThingLink. University of Salford. Online resource. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.17866\/rd.salford.25854295.v1\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.17866\/rd.salford.25854295.v1<\/a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Further Reading on Virtual Learning Experiences and Field Trips<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Below are more inspirational examples from K-12 education and distance learning, plus tutorials on creating 360 images with AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/multi-purpose-virtual-field-trip-embraces-the-spirit-of-salford-university\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Multi-Purpose Virtual Field Trip Embraces the Spirit of Salford University<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/how-to-craft-effective-prompts-for-360-degree-images\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">How to Craft Effective Prompts for 360-Degree Images<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/elevate-learning-with-skybox-and-thinglink\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Elevate Learning: Unlock AI Tools for Image Generation on ThingLink<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/how-thinglinks-ar-app-and-virtual-tour-made-an-art-exhibition-more-accessible\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">How ThingLink&#8217;s Virtual Tour and AR App Made an Exhibition More Accessible<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/360-image-library\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Create Virtual Tours with ThingLink&#8217;s 360 library: Now includes high-quality 360-degree videos<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/the-ultimate-guide-to-creating-your-first-virtual-field-trip\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Further-and-Higher-Education-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"The Ultimate Guide to Creating Your First Virtual Field Trip\" class=\"wp-image-7965\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Further-and-Higher-Education-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Further-and-Higher-Education-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Further-and-Higher-Education-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Further-and-Higher-Education-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Further-and-Higher-Education-576x324.jpg 576w, https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Further-and-Higher-Education.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Ultimate Guide to Creating Your Own Virtual Field Trip. Ideal for creating on-demand field-trips to historical sites, remote ecosystems and more<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/empowering-place-based-learning-through-student-creation-with-stanfords-virtual-learning-resources\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Teachers-and-Schools-2-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Empowering Place-Based Learning Through Student Creation With Stanford\u2019s Virtual Learning Resources\" class=\"wp-image-10278\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Teachers-and-Schools-2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Teachers-and-Schools-2-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Teachers-and-Schools-2-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Teachers-and-Schools-2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Teachers-and-Schools-2-576x324.jpg 576w, https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Teachers-and-Schools-2.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Free resources for field trip creators: Stanford\u2019s free virtual field trip resources include templates and lesson plans for guiding students to create their own interactive content. Ideal for middle or high school year students.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Immersive Virtual Experience Tells Villagers\u2019 Stories of 1665 Plague A team at the University of Salford have created an immersive virtual experience of Eyam,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":12825,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[588,477,565],"tags":[586,592,267,511,216],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10145"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10145"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10145\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11011,"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10145\/revisions\/11011"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12825"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10145"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10145"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10145"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}